WISCONSIN — If you've worked from home at all in the pandemic you probably have a list of things that need organizing or remodeling. 

Many cooped-up Americans started at least one home improvement project last year. 

According to a survey by Seattle-based home improvement website, Porch, the average homeowner spent more than $17,000 on improvements during the pandemic. 

In many cases, it's just about reorganizing the clutter. Doug Gauert, owner of Closets by Design Milwaukee said his company heard from a lot of parents about kid clutter.  

"Especially in the beginning of the pandemic when kids were at home. Parents really struggled with where to situate their kids to be able to do school," Gauert told us. "Dining rooms were a big area, kitchen area was another like kitchen countertops. So trying to get the kids organized made their life a lot easier."

​Some of the top pandemic-driven home improvement projects include pantries, home offices, garages and closets. Gauert shared some advice if you're thinking about tackling your clothes situation. "It's the first area you see in the morning. It's the last area you see at night. Once you have the closet organized it starts your day on a positive note," he said.

One of the tricks Gauert recommended is to put all the clothes you haven't worn in a while on hangers in one area. If you wear something, turn the hanger around. After six months, you can easily see what you should purge from your closet. 

When it comes to kids' closets, it's all about the storage. Most are only built for hanging clothes. Gauert pointed out, "they don't have a lot of shelving areas for sweatpants, jeans, t-shirts." He suggested adding more shelving so clothes can be organized by category. "The parents then can make the kids' keep it all organized, and they can function a lot better."